Florida Turnpike Services Plazas Need To Step It Up!

When I was a kid one thing that I really enjoyed on family road trips through the state of Florida was stopping at the turnpike plazas. Maybe it was just my naiveté, but there was always something cool about them. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, let me explain. I’m talking about the service stations that provide overpriced gas, vending machines, and have a small general store and several fast food options in them. The big convenience is that you don’t have to leave the turnpike to access them and they are spaced out one every 40 miles or so.

As a kid this one was my favorite. Now it just smells funny.

I love places that built around travelling. Airports, train stations, bus depots. Well, maybe not bus depots, but you get the idea. At the turnpike plazas everyone is on their way somewhere. There is a wall full of brochures for tourist traps. A giant map to help you figure out how long you had to go. And for the most part these plazas are still just as I have described them. Except now they’re not so cool. It could be that I am now a man in my mid 30s and now see things differently. However, I don’t think this is the case. I do think that someone stopped with the upkeep of these places.

Gone are the cool fast food places that were inside, instead replaced (for the most part) by generic food choice, joints you never heard of and worst of all Checkers. About ten years ago you could find a Starbucks in each one of them. Granted, Starbucks is not everyone’s cup of tea (or coffee) but at least there is a certain amount of quality you can expect from one. Some of them now have a Dunkin Donuts in its place (which is fine) but the conversion of one store to another doesn’t look smooth.  Instead it looks ugly and half-finished. In fact most of the plazas seem to have some degree of construction going on and in the case of the Fort Drum plaza a pretty serious odor issue. So my Christmas wish this year (after money, health, and peace on Earth) is for those damn turnpike plazas to step it up. Stop being so filthy! Stop selling weird things like belt buckles! And please, please get rid of Checkers.

South Florida Is Not On The Platform

I understand the idea of the platform release schedule.   The idea is that you release a movie in only a few markets to build word of mouth and add different markets each week until you can go wide.   For some movies it makes sense (There Will Be Blood).  For others it was not such a good idea (Quiz Show).  In each case you could see the logic.

One of the key points to this is releasing your movie in major markets.  Start with New York and Los Angeles.  Expand to Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Dallas.  You get the idea.  So the issue I have is when does MY market (Miami-Ft Lauderdale) get on the list?  With the estimated population of our tri-county area at 5,413,212, it should be on that next tier of cities to be honest.  And in most cases it is.   However it seems no one told First Look Studios about it.

Their new movie, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, has been out in theaters since November 20^th.    That’s five weeks now.  Yet it has still not made it into the Sunshine State.  Okay Dan, you say, maybe it’s just doing the extreme major markets, like the ones I already listed.   I could maybe accept that.   However the fact is First Look has decided to drop it in a number of markets that are considerably smaller than Miami-Ft Lauderdale.  Places like Tucson, AZ (pop. 541,811), Reno, NV (pop. 217,016), and state of New Mexico (pop. Under 2 million for the ENTIRE state!) are coming out ahead of South Florida.   In fact the closest place it is playing is Charleston, SC (total metro pop. 644,000)!  How can this be? 

I have nothing against the places that are showing Bad Lieutenant.  In fact I would like all cities to show a nice variety of films.  I’m just irritated by the fact that South Florida is getting the shine on this.   The movie itself has been getting good reviews and earned a place on Roger Ebert’s top ten of the year.   Box office wise though it is not exactly setting the world on fire.   It has taken in $1.3 million in those 5 weeks.  This past weekend it did a very underwhelming  $64,934 in 76 theaters.  That’s a per theater average of $854.  That’s not good, by the way.   Maybe a little better work done the release department might have helped.

Perhaps First Look is too busy to notice us simple South Florida folk.  After all they do have other movies to handle.   Their 2010 release of Midgets Vs. Mascots starring Gary Coleman is due in February.  Hope that one makes it down here.

New Affiliate: SoFloRadio.com!

I’m very excited to announce that The Radio Dan Show has a new affiliate.   I’m even more excited that it’s local.  SoFloRadio.com is now broadcasting us five days a week (Mon-Fri) at 8am, so if you miss the live show on TRX you can wake up and catch it at work at 8am. 

SoFlo is the brainchild of Jorge Rodriguez, who served as the producer and fill in host for the legendary Neil Rogers.   Quite honestly, I’ve been wanting to get on this station since I first read about it back in June or July.   Jorge has assembled a great line up in a short amount of time, all with terrestrial experience.  I suggest you check it out!

Suggestion for Summit Entertainment

With the recent success of New Moon raking in big bucks at the box office (Over half a billion worldwide and counting) there has been a number of articles, blogs and what have you all wondering what Summit Entertainment will do with their new found fortune.

Summit Entertainment has been around since 2006 as a full fledged indepedant film studio.   So as a company (in this form) they’re still young and this influx of profit is a major step up for them.  So now what?  As it turns out, I have the answer.

First things first, celebrate.  I’m sure this has already been done by now, but having a nice big party should be the first thing done.  Then, after night turns into day and the hangover wears off there is something else to do: Apologize.  That’s right, in my estimation (which is a very important estimation) Summit has a number of apologies to hand out. 

First up, a nice big fruit basket to Rian Johnson (writer-director of The Brothers Boom).  Let the card on it read:

 ”Dear Rian,

We here are Summit are so sorry we barely promoted your film.  While we were probably too busy hyping up New Moon a few things fell through the cracks, like getting Bloom a proper distribution.  Please accept this fruit basket as our apology.  We also pledge to give Bloom a nice 2 disc DVD relase in the future, a guarantee that we will not be a sleep at the wheel for your next film, and will push for Rachel Weisz to get a Best Actress nomination.

Much love,

Summit Entertainment”

Next up, chocolates to Katherine Bigelow, director of The Hurt Locker.   That card can read:

 ”Dear Katherine,

How could we have botched the release of your excellent war movie?  Honestly even we don’t know.  Eligible for some awards last year and some this year, we really dropped the ball here.  Hey, we’re a new company and we hadn’t dealt with a film as award worthy as yours until now.   So enjoy these chocolates while prepare a killer Oscar campaign for The Hurt Locker. 

Apologetically yours,

Summit Entertainment”

And what about a basket of choclate chip cookies one for director Todd Graff of Bandslam? 

“Dear Todd,

We know the marketing for Bandslam was awful.  We made lousy posters and made it seem like a fourth rate version of a High School Musical movie; but in our defense no one here actually watched it!  Yeah, I know that is kind of irresponsible for a film studio but it’s true.  We didn’t see it.  Our bad.  Who knew it was actually good?  Not us, that’s for sure.   But we’ll give that DVD a real push.  Promise.  New artwork for the cover and everything. 

Regretfully,

Summit Enterainment”

Now they can focus on making movies and releasing/marketing them properly.  After all they can afford it.  And after that is all done they can send me an apology for releasing Next Day Air.  Yeah I know, that’s really just reaching isn’t it?

Open Letter To RKO Pictures

I have tried to email this directly to Ted Hartley, the current head of RKO Pictures, however emails have been returned and phone calls have born no fruit.  Now I’m posting it on my blog.

Mr. Hartley,

I am writing you today because I have an interest and a proposal for RKO Pictures.   

When most movie fans think of RKO Pictures they are thinking about the classics that were produced by your company in the 1930s and 1940s.   Movie fans who know of RKO think of classics like King Kong and Citizen Kane.  However, what most movie fans are not aware that RKO Pictures exists today.

Today the internet is a treasure trove for movie fans.  There is information and content readily available at a moment’s notice.   Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter keep fans in close touch to what is going on with their favorite actors, directors and studios.   Yet, RKO Pictures has yet to utilize any of these free resources.

I personally am a huge movie fan and I have a tremendous appreciation for RKO’s contribution to the movie industry.   Additionally I host an internet radio talk show called The Radio Dan Show that uses the movie business the main part of its show.   Five nights a week I talk about the goings on in the movie business, refraining from getting into gossip about stars.   The show is broadcast on TalkRadioX.com and has been syndicated by several small town terrestrial stations as well.   Additionally each show is archived on TalkRadioX website and available as a podcast.

What I would like to do is to collaborate with RKO Pictures and help spread the word that your company is still here and still relevant.   I would accomplish in several ways.

1.       DVD giveaways – Once a week (or month) I would give away to a listener either a classic RKO Pictures title or a contemporary one.   Under a title such as ‘RKO Spotlight’ I could highlight one film a month to discuss the history of and give one copy away.  Additionally we could also make an RKO Pictures shirt or hat with the classic ‘Transmitter’ logo on it the prize.

2.       Interviews – I would love to do interviews with RKO related talent.  Either people who are involved with new RKO releases or classic ones.

3.       Social Networking – I would run an RKO Pictures Twitter account.  Several studios have accounts that inform of new releases, special screenings, or even DVD sales.  MGM and Screen Gems are two examples of studios who are using Twitter to connect to today’s movie fans.

I would also like to discuss the possibility of hosting screenings in the future of some of RKO Pictures classic movies as well.  That is something that perhaps could be discussed in the future.  I would like to thank you for your time in reading my proposal and due hope that you consider it.

As a lifelong movie fan it would be a thrill to be affiliated with RKO Pictures and I would proudly to whatever I could to help promote it.  If you have interest please contact me at your earliest convenience. 

Thank you,

Dan Delgado

Can’t Slow Down

I remember hearing Lionel Richie talking about his smash 1983 album Can’t Slow Down.  He described the title as a description to where he was in life.  Every was going great and he had things to do. 

I feel this is the period in my life that I’m in.  I have a feeling that people in their 30s generally feel that way.  It’s reaching that make or break point.

Right now I am working hard on The Radio Dan Show and I do my best to make the show entertaining.  I make sure not to miss shows because I think that you never know who may be listening that night.  

Also I find myself vested in TalkRadioX more than ever.  I am looking for new shows and new outlets for the ones we already have.  Each day I am waiting on replies from people regarding new possibilities.  Granted, how many of them pan out?  Eh, I’d rather not say. 

I’m also attempting to write something for the radio as well.  I’m just starting out and I don’t want to jinx myself so I won’t get into any details. 

I think that I am 30 days from turning 35 has become a great motivator.  I can feel the sands of the hourglass running, dramatic as that may seem.  I know that I wasted a good part of my 20s creatively.  Granted I did spend the last few years of my 20s writing bad screenplays no one wants to make into movies.  So at least there was an attempt. 

But the truth is that for years I just figured walking around being clever was going to be enough to get over.  It’s ridiculous but it’s true.  Then as I began writing I realized that this was not going to be an easy task.

Starting the radio show three years ago I was able to at least put my efforts into something that would bare at least a little fruit.  While screenplay rejections piled up in my inbox, the radio show has afforded me a slight amount of appreciation.

Regulars are in the TRX chatroom.  People call in here and there.  Someone is actually listening.  And that is nice. 

But it’s not enough.  And I have more work to do.  Just like Lionel.

For the Love of TCM

Currently I am sitting in the computer room of my mother’s house in Viera, FL about two hours away from my home.   This morning I woke up, brushed my teeth, had some coffee and was looking at Twitter updates on my phone when I saw one from Turner Classic Movies.  The Jack Benny flop, The Horn Blows at Midnight was coming on and this was just a simple programming note to let people know.

Being a Jack Benny fan and having never seen it (Benny would poke fun of it on his show) I was really happy to be able to spend my morning watching it.  I had no idea it was coming on and I don’t know if i would have bothered to look at the guide this morning.  Yet, I didn’t miss it.  And this was thanks to TCM itself. 

The thing about this is that it’s not unusual.  With so many networks on cable and satellite these days, each on catering to a more and more niche audience, TCM is still the one that truly stands out.  Not only do they present classic films, but there is a feeling of genuine love and appreciation of them as well.  Quite often if I see something that is coming on that I have no interest in, I will still watch the time leading up to it.  Why?  Because TCM packs in that time with brilliant advertising, short movies, behind the scenes infomation, classic trailers, and just about anything else they can think of that a movie fan would like.

I can’t speak highly enough about the marketing department at TCM.  Granted, I’m not sure if that is who is making those wonderful montage commercials that highlight the films, actors, actresses, and filmmakers who are responsible for the films they show, but if that is from their marketing department, it just might be the best marketing department I’ve ever seen. 

August marks TCM’s annual Summer Under the Stars month long theme.  And in typical TCM fashion they have come up with something absolutely brilliant to go with it.  They will unveil 31 new movie poster designs for classic movies, one for each day.  Some of them are already up.  It’s just another example of all that TCM seems to give.

There are many other examples I could site, screenings, exhibits, and other events they are behing all in the name of classic movie watching, but I don’t have all day to write it and you don’t have all day to read it.

I can tell you that TCM’s living mascot/host/film historian/all around good guy Robert Osborne seems more like a wise uncle as he appears before the movies start and give you interesting tidbits about them.  I was fortunate enough to interview Mr. Osborne on my show once, and I can tell you it was most nervous I’d been talking to someone.  Fortunately for me Jessica was way more nervous (and it showed) and it took the focus off me.  At the time I was secretly hoping it would lead to a relationship with the network.  TCM calling me up for interviews to promote whatever they had going on.  Or maybe hiring me to do an official podcast for them.  It was a nice thought but pure fantasy on my part.

I remember the first time I took note of TCM was thanks to Bill Cosby.  He was/is such a fan of the network that in the 1990s he did some commercials for them at allegedly no cost.  He just wanted to promote something he thought was great.  At the time I didn’t have TCM on cable system but I remember thinking that it was something I should pay attention to.

Already having been disappointed by American Movie Classics lame selections, commercial interruptions, and overall lack of theme, I was ready to embrace a classic movie network that knew what it was doing.

It wasn’t until a few years later that I was able to watch TCM for myself. And I haven’t stopped watching since. 

 

**I tried to find a link to the Bill Cosby commercials where he played a private eye encouraging people to call their cable companies to get TCM.

DAN TV

Nothing like a good idea, especially when it’s not yours. 

A while back I was listening to a podcast that is co-hosted by TV blogger (and occasional Radio Dan Show guest) Amrie Cunningham where the topic was to program your own station and you can use any tv show in history.  It was a neat idea and I enjoyed hearing Amrie’s choices as well as her co-hosts (who I’m sure have names but they haven’t appeared on my show so I can’t really remember them).

Truth be told I can recall reading the same concept being done in Brandon Tartikoff’s book The Last Great Ride.  I remember this because even though Tartikoff programmed NBC in greatness in the 1980’s, his lineup didn’t really impress me that much.  Little House on the Prairie was on that list I think. Yawn!

So after hearing this show I decided to write down my ideal lineup of a seven days of tv programming.  And a months later I think I’m finished.  Really, today is July 21st and I started this nonsense on June 24th.  Just ridiculous.  I’m still not sure I have things perfect but I’ve grown tired of changing it.  So here is my ideal television lineup, Sunday through Saturday.  Free free to rip the hell out of it.

Sunday

 

7pm The Dick Van Dyke Show

7:30 The Honeymooners

8pm Pushing Daisies

9pm Moonlighting

10pm House

Monday

8pm The Cosby Show

8:30 The Simpsons

9pm Cheers

9:30 Taxi

10pm Quantum Leap

Tuesday  

8pm All in the Family

8:30 The Jeffersons

9pm Mary Tyler Moore

9:30 Good Times

10pm The Rockford Files

Wednesday  

8pm Get Smart

8:30 Police Squad

9pm Night Court

9:30 Sledge Hammer!

10pm Lost

Thursday  

8pm Seinfeld

8:30 The Office

9pm 30 Rock

9:30 Arrested Development

10pm Shannon’s Deal

Friday  

8pm Johnny Staccato

8:30 Lucky

9pm Burn Notice

10pm Starsky & Hutch

Saturday  

8pm Crime Story

9pm 24

10pm Dexter

Tavares It Is!

Maybe I should be blogging about Michael Jackson or even Billy Mays but I’m a pretty inconsistant blogger.  So instead I will just share my relief that the NHL Draft is over and the Mission Tavares has been a success.

I’m not sure when I decided it would be best to root for an awful season, sometime last October I believe.  However after suffering all those loses I believe the Islanders will be better off.  Well, I HOPE they will.  Things haven’t gone according to plan in Islander Town in a very long time.  And while on paper Taveres now teamed with other kids on the team full of potential (Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, etc) seems like a proper blueprint, there’s no guarantee for anything.

So now that this is over there’s still plenty to cross the fingers about.

Moment of Truth

There’s a number of things that I should be blogging about, however tonight is the night of the NHL draft. And truth be told I’m only interested in what the New York Islanders do.

If you scroll down on this blog you’ll see I was hugely in support of finishing last in order to get that number one overall pick. Now they have it and the consensous is that they should use it on John Tavares, a guy I’ve been hoping for all year.

However these are the Islanders so while the choice may be obvious there is no guarantee they won’t do something completely bizarre.

So 7pm EST tonight I will be crossing my fingers.